How had things gotten this bad…
Tsai's world was upside down. Literally.
The servant was currently bind by both of her ankles and hung in an extremely painful upside-down suspension. The ties on her limbs were extremely tight restricting the blood flow. Her ankle joins were slowly being pulled apart by her own weight. All the blood had rushed to her head giving her a terrible headache. She almost felt like she was going to pass out again. She didn't know how long she had been in this position… Then again- how had things gotten this bad? xxx
"Lunchtime, General Iroh." Ming smiled as she entered Iroh's cell with the tray of food in her hands. She kneeled before the bars, glancing over her shoulder at the open door, before looking back at whispering conspiratorially, "And this time, I brought you an extra bowl of rice."
"Thank you, Ming." Iroh replied with his own soft smile, "Your little gestures of kindness have made my days in prison bearable." He stared at the young woman for a moment thoughtful then he smiled again, "I think you should take the rest of the day off."
Ming gave him a confused look, "What?"
"You don't look well." Iroh explained easily, "Maybe you should go home and rest."
"No, I feel fine."
Iroh leaned forward and grasped the bars of his cell, "Trust me. It is better that you are not here this afternoon."
Ming stared at him for a moment then nodded in understanding. Iroh watched as she stood up and exited his prison cell then he closed his eyes to meditate.
Iroh ate his rice quietly, alone. He knew what was coming. The day of the black sun was upon them.
xxx
Zuko kneeled before a painting of his mother with his head bowed, "I know I've made some bad choices, but I'm gonna set things right." He stood, picked up his sword, and pulled the hood of his robe over his head. Taking a deep breath, he turned his back on the painting and exited the room.
Xxx
Tsai's head lolled to the side as she was taken out of the torture chamber. She struggled to remain conscious. Her head had a terrible ache to it. Her bones hurt. Her limbs. She could still feel the blood rushing to her limbs as she was dragged out of the chamber. Her feet limp dragging across the floor.
xxx
It was turn for the Avatar and the Resistance to fight back and defeat Fire Lord Ozai and the vile Fire Nation.
It had been a strenuous long journey here. Countless of sacrifices had been made. War raged upon them as Aang stormed inside of a seemingly empty palace. He airbendended himself into a dark and empty throne room. He was ready to fight with his arms up in a combative stance but straightened from his pose and stared in shock at the empty throne at the end of the room.
He was too late.
"No." He growled in frustration as he dropped his staff and fell to his knees.
The Fire Lord was gone.
"No, no, no! Fire Lord Ozai, where are you!?"
Xxx
Ozai grinned wickedly as the greatest traitor in the history of the Fire Nation was taken before him. She was tossed to the ground like a worthless sack of bones and she looked up glowering in defiance. A nerve splitting headache made it feel as if her head was going to explode. She raised her head and her blood ran cold, all that blood drained from her face and she paled fearfully at the man who was standing next to the Fire Lord.
xxx
Outside of the palace walls a brown-haired young man with dark, wavy hair used a hand to shade his eyes as he peered up at the eclipsing sun. He could hear the sounds of the battle between his nation and the Resistance raging on. The Fire Nation army was shooting at the earthbender tanks. However, the tanks but they were much too sturdy for the flames, too powerful for them to overcome, especially when earthbenders were running around, launching boulders to counterattack the Fire Nation's soldiers attacks.
"If we move this squadron over here, we can weaken their defense even further."
Mecha removed his eyes from the sky and down at Sokka, who was kneeling behind a stationary tank with Bato and one of the earthbenders. He whipped his arms in a combative stance fighting an oncoming fireball which landed behind him with his own flame. He looked back up at the sky waiting for the black sun. Waiting for the fire to stop burning.
'I'm almost there sister…'He thought to himself with worry. For some reason, he couldn't shake off the ill feeling that something terrible was going to happen.
Both him and Sokka cringed at the sound of the resulting explosion.
He turned to see Katara with Water Tribe military leader Hakoda, who was also her father, leaning heavily against her climb through the hole in the wall. Reaching down, Mecha touched Sokka's shoulder and gestured towards his family.
"Dad!" Sokka's expression brightened considerably when he caught sight of his father. He quickly jumped to his feet and rushed over to Katara and Hakoda.
Mecha stayed back. His fists clenched tightly. He had become a traitor to his nation and because of it his family had been destroyed. He hadn't seen Tsai in almost a year now since she left on that trek with General Iroh and his disgraced nephew. Oh, how he hated Prince Zuko. This was all his fault. His nostrils fumed with a hot vapor.
He would save his sister, get his revenge. Destroy and take over the empire that had taken so much from him. His sister, his destiny as Vice Royal Governor of the wealthiest Fire Nation colony. He had lost his home his title…
He still remembered the day they had come. The Fire Nation officials ready to arrest his parent's for treason against the Nation. Reacting on impulse he took the blame. He blamed himself for making his sister go on that damned trip. For bringing shame and dishonor to his family. The year had toughened him up as he traveled the Earth Kingdom looking for his lost sister and the prince. In his travels he had seen just how much harm the Fire Nation had truly brought to the world. How much pain, damage, destruction, loss, death, famine and horror. How could he have been so blind his whole life?
Today was the day he would put the seven headed dragon down. His fists sizzled.
"You alright there Hotman? You look like you're ready to grill!" Sokka said suddenly snapping his train of thought.
"Yeah," Mecha inhaled a deep breath. "The eclipse hasn't even kicked in yet!" He added.
He was much too distracted by his blind rage and thoughts that he didn't realize Katara was looking up at the skies with concern.
"Is that...is that Aang?" She muttered with a quizzical expression.
"This can't be good," he said.
"What?!" Sokka exclaimed and he whirled around just in time to see Aang dodge several fire balls and land in front of him. Sokka stared at the younger boy pleadingly, "Please tell me you're here because the Fire Lord turned out to be a big wimp and you didn't even need the eclipse to take him down."
Mecha let out what sounded like a humorous huff.
"He wasn't home." Aang replied wearily as he kneeled in front of Sokka, Katara, and Mecha, "No one was. The entire palace city is abandoned."
Sokka's eyes widened and his expression turned into one of dismay, "They knew."
"I told you all," Mecha shook his head. "The Fire Lord is not an idiot." He crossed his arms over his chest.
"Azula," Realization suddenly hit Katara. "King Kuei must've said something while she and her little friends were posing as Kyoshi Warriors! That conniving, horrible, evil..." She cut herself off with a growl and punched the ground angrily.
They all glared at Mecha. "So where do you think he is?"
He was quiet for a moment.
Aang shook his head and rubbed his fingers along the ground with a dismayed expression, "It's over. The Fire Lord is probably long-gone by now. Far away on some remote island where he'll be safe during the eclipse."
"He's in there. Hiding somewhere. It's what I would do." The fire-bender said.
Sokka cupped his chin thoughtfully, "He's right. He wouldn't go too far. He would have a secret bunker, somewhere he could go and be safe during the siege but still be close enough to lead his nation."
The other teen nodded in agreeance.
Toph stepped forward with a smirk, "If it's an underground secret bunker we're looking for," Her smirk widened and she pointed at herself, "I'm justthe girl to find it."
"The mechanist gave me this timing device." Sokka explained as he pulled out a round mechanism, "It looks like we're got about ten minutes until the full eclipse. Ten minutes to find the Fire Lord."
Again Mecha's stomach whirled with unease.
Aang lifted his head and stared at his friends determinedly, "We can still do this. We can still win the day."
"Wait!" Katara said hurriedly and she looked at the others with worry, "If they knew we were coming it could all be trap. Maybe we should use the time we have left to make sure we all get out of here safely."
"Oh, trust me. They'll be expecting us."
Xxx
"Ugh…" Tsai let out a sound as her pulsating headache went from bad to worse. She wished that she could hold her head. Instead she managed to stand up on her wobbly knees. Her hands were still bind at the front and her mouth had been gagged with a filthy rag. She tried not to let her fear show as she stood up straight with her head lifted up high.
She didn't know what it was… But something wasn't right. She didn't feel well. Her vision was beginning to blur as she felt faint.
xxx
Toph, Aang, Sokka ran behind Mecha and down a tunnel. When a loud gasp grabbed Mecha's attention and he whirled around aggressively. His eyes narrowed dangerously when he saw a war minister standing behind them.
Some moments and several flames later. The man threw his hands in the air submissively as Aang, Sokka and Toph stood on either side of Mecha, effectively cornering him against the wall.
"The Fire Lord's chamber is that way, down the hall, to the left," He squeaked fearfully and made climbing motions with his fingers quickly, "And up the stairs, you can't miss it!"
Aang eyed the man suspiciously then grinned widely, "Thanks!"
Mecha scowled at the terrified man and spun on his heel racing down the hallway he'd indicated with Toph, Aang, and Sokka hot on her heels. He was thirsting for blood and he would get his blood.
"Sokka, how much time do we have?" Mecha called over her shoulder as they raced down the tunnel, Toph now in the lead again.
Sokka pulled out his timing device and looked at it quickly, "It's almost time!"
Xxx
Zuko stared at the small metal door with two torches on either side and closed his eyes, exhaling slowly as he bowed his head, "I'm ready to face you."
He opened the door and stood in the entrance, staring at his father with determination. Ozai paused as he was about to take a sip of tea when he noticed his son standing in the opening doorway. There was a smug expression on his face. Slowly, he set his teacup down in front of him and addressed his son, "Prince Zuko? What are you doing here?" He responded genuinely surprised.
He noticed a man that stood next to him with his back straight, his hands were held before his back as he starred at the person standing before the two with contempt.
Before the two of them stood Tsai. Her clothes were tattered, and she was gagged, and her hands were bound to her front. His eyes went wide and the sliding door closed behind him as he fully stepped into the room.
Ozai rose from his throne. He put the tea aside and waltzed down the steps slowly approaching the girl that stood in the center of the room.
"I'm glad you could join us Prince Zuko," His father said maliciously.
"You've met the Vice-Royal Governor of Yu Dao, right?" He tossed as he nodded his head towards Azah of Yu Dao. The man looked as if he had aged ten years. The light had vanished from his eyes. His beard was peppered with gray hair, eyes hollow and his face had stretched into what looked like a permanent scowl. His long hair which he kept in a top knot similar to his uncle had also lost its color. He looked at his daughter apathetically with dripping disappointment.
Tsai looked terrified. Zuko had never seen her face so white. She turned to look at him with a ghost like horrified expression.
Ozai approached the auburn-haired girl and stretched out a hand towards her body.
"I heard you went slumming last night…" He began with a sly smirk referring to the prince's trip to the servant's room the night before. "That I can forgive my son. I have been there myself." Ozai said cruelly as he touched her body with his hand. She squirmed under his touch and he ripped at her tattered clothes vulgarly exposing her bare skin. "Colonial women… Am I right?" He said disgustingly.
The girl was heaving. Her courage had vanished, and her knees gave as she collapsed on them. Looking down in shame avoiding her father's judging dark eyes.
"However, treachery… I cannot forgive, and I've been more than merciful to this bastard child."
Zuko slowly approached his father as he rounded the center of the room like a vile vulture. Azah simply starred apathetically this whole time judging his daughter.
"Which is why I ask you Prince Zuko to honor me, your father and punish this treacherous red minx." Ozai spoke wickedly. Fire blazing in his yellow eyes. "Stand for your Nation and do not hold back. Let's show traitors the wrath of the will of fire!" Ozai sank a hand on the girl's shoulder and she winced as he buried his sharp nails into her flesh. This was Zuko's worst nightmare coming to reality.
"Unless of course… You would rather do it," He gave two steps in the Governor's direction. Who looked like a ghost. The man did not show a single trace of emotion. Azah closed his eyes for a moment and took in a heavy breath.
"I have no daughter." He said after a moment of silence.
This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening.
Tsai felt as if she had just been punched in the stomach. Her shoulder's bent forward as she hunched lowering her head even further.
"Prince Zuko…" Ozai looked back at his son. The masochist eager to witness the torture.
Zuko stepped up. He stood before Tsai and their eyes met. The expression in them was a powerful yet unreadable mystique as they were flooded with pain. He lighted a fistful of flames and scrutinized the enemy before him. He knew what he had to do. He wasn't going to make the same mistake twice…
It would take all of his strength, but he had to do it.
With a wild snarl he shot the flame at his father's feet. Ozai stood unwavering simply dismissing the flames and looked at the prince with an appalled expression on his face.
"I lied." Zuko admitted. "I do care. She means everything to me. Everything and more."
Tsai's chest puffed up in what seemed to be a little bit of life. She looked at him with glassy eyes as she struggled to fight the rag that was wrapped around her mouth off.
"Fine," Ozai composed himself. His expression stern. "If you won't. Then I will."
There wasn't a moment to react. With a swift movement Ozai blasted a wave of scorching fire at the girl kneeling before him.
The Prince's horrified cry echoed the chamber as her body became engulfed in a wave of bright burning embers. His father grinned wickedly. Her father disturbed simply turned away not wanting to witness the unraveling scene. Ozai began to cackle with malice. At the tortured expression on his son's face.
Zuko felt his knees go weak. What had he done… This was all his fault. He placed a hand over his chest clutching at the unbearable pain as his emotional insides were painfully desiccated. "No.." He cried out painfully.
"You monster." He heard.
He looked up and his heart stopped. This had to be a hallucination. His eyes had to be playing tricks on him. Compensating for the most horrifying scene he had ever witnessed.
The girl from the colonies stood before the Fire Lord. She stood tall and unwavering emerging from the flames like a phoenix. Unharmed. Her red hair even seemed to sway lightly as it danced with the lingering fire that licked her body.
Ozai looked befuddled. Surely his eyes were playing tricks on him. He raised a hand and struck a firebolt at her again. Yet the flames brought no harm. Instead they clung to her cloaking her as she remained unharmed.
"You're a monster! You horrible, horrible man!"
This was not possible.
With her teeth gritted she pushed with all of the strength she could muster and using her weak legs and pushed through her horrible migraine used her head to headbutt directly into Ozai's face.
The Fire Lord clenched his nose after a sickening crack resounded the room.
Zuko stood stunned. She never ceased to stop surprising him. Sometimes he questioned if his father even bled and she had managed to strike him so boldly.
She let out a breath and filled with adrenaline somehow managed to run towards her friend. She really was not feeling well. Feeling weaker and weaker with every passing moment. Her vision darkening around the edges as she breathed heavily.
He was speechless. The prince looked at her with disbelief and touched her face. It was real. She was real and stood before him in body and flesh.
"I'm okay," she uttered drowsily, her head pounding, a dazed look over her eyes.
"Get out." Was all he could manage. Still holding his breath.
She turned away and exited the room.
"That bitch!" Ozai cried out angrily removing a bloody hand from his bleeding nose.
"I warned my father not to spoil her too much," Azah spoke melancholically after a moment. He stepped down the stairs and appeared to be calmly retreating.
"You're not going anywhere." Ozai warned. "If I can't have your daughter's head. I will have yours-" He wiped the blood with the back of his hand and tossed it at the floor. The crimson liquid had dripped down to his nose, chin and neck. "First I need to teach my son a lesson. One he hasn't seemed to manage to learn."
The governor remained petrified. Ozai stepped towards Zuko.
"Coward. Facing me during an eclipse." He stretched his limbs cracking neck from side to side.
"I've come here today to face you father. To tell the truth!" He growled out. "First of all, in Ba Sing Se, it was Azula who took down the Avatar, not me."
"Why would she lie to me about that?" Ozai narrowed his eyes.
Zuko smirked slightly, "Because the Avatar's not dead. He survived."
"What?!" The Fire Lord snarled, shocked and slightly horrified at the news. Ozai was already furious he now seethed as he glared manically at his son, who continued speaking as if he hadn't interrupted.
"This defiant breath will be your last!"
"Think again." Zuko snapped back and he unsheathed his swords, holding them out in front of him offensively.
Xxx
Tsai ran out of the bunker as fast as she could manager. She grew weaker with every passing second. Her breathing hard. Almost as if she was suffocating. She figured her headache was happening due to all the torture she had endured from hanging upside down all day long. Her ankle joints still hurt with every step she gave. She leaned against one of the walls of the volcanic tunnel. The air felt hot. It smelt like sulfur. She felt smothered as she panted.
What had just happened?
How had she survived that?
Her mind was racing as unanswered questions crashed into her like waves. Adrenaline pumping through her body. Her vision was pitch black when she heard a familiar shrill voice in her perimeter.
"Well look who it is." The voice said.
"A..zula…" Were her last words before everything went pitch black. Her body collapsing like a wilting flower. Her eyes rolled back as she fell in dead weight hitting the ground roughly.
xxx
"The eclipse is starting!" The mechanist called out as the invasion force marched up the side of the volcano. He quickly removed his monocle and pulled out the specialized eyewear he'd invented for just this purpose, slipping them onto his face as they gazed up the black sun "Put on your eclipse glasses!"
The warriors stopped around him and thrust the ends of their weapons in the ground, putting on their eclipse glasses quickly before continuing to march on towards the capital city. Near the back of the invading army, Hakoda and Katara stopped walking and turned to look up at the sky, watching as the moon fully blocked out the sun.
xxx
The metal doors of an inner chamber burst open with a windstorm. In stepped in Aang, the Avatar, Sokka, Toph and an older teen with wavy shoulder length hair whom she had never seen before.
"So, you are alive after all." Azula said crossing one of her legs over the other.
Aang gaped at Azula in shock as they stepped into the room and saw her sitting calmly on a throne at the other end of the room, she held a metal chain leash on her hand which was tied to Tsai's neck as a leash. The girl currently lay unconscious at the foot of the throne. Mecha snarled and would have lunged forward for his sister if Sokka hadn't grabbed his shoulder. His dark green eyes narrowed, and he glared furiously at the princess, as if hoping to burn her with his eyes.
Azula smiled cruelly at the foursome as she addressed Aang, "I had a hunch that you survived. But it doesn't matter." She tossed her head proudly and looked down her nose at them, "I've known about the invasion for months."
Mecha shrugged Sokka's hand from his shoulder, glaring at the princess with burning hatred while Aang and two friends stared at Azula in surprise and horror.
"Where is he?" Aang demanded as he stood in a fighting stance beside his friends, "Where's the Fire Lord?"
"Hmm." Azula hummed as she rose from the throne, "You mean I'm not good enough for you?" She pretended to be hurt, "You're hurting my feelings." She said mockingly.
xxx
Why do I feel so… weak… There was only vast darkness surrounding her in this slumber. Then there was a voice calling for her. A familiar voice. When was the last time she had heard this voice? Felt this familiar presence? She could hear this voice calling her name. It was then that she saw a dim white light in the distance. She moved in the darkness first walking and finally running until she found it. A woman wearing white. With beautiful hair the color of moonlight. "Yue," her eyes widened. She felt her eyes moisten with tears of goodbyes that were never said to her short-lived friend. "Yue!" The girl smiled at her and Tsai ran and embraced her tightly their bodies eclipsing. "Yue, is this the spirit world? Have you come for me?" She asked letting go of her friend. "Not quite," she said. "This is where we meet," she explained. "It is very obvious if you ponder on it," she added again with a sweet small smile. "What is?" Tsai was beyond confused. She felt as if the Northern Water Tribe spirit was speaking in riddles. "I'm the moon and you're the sun."
Her body felt cold. Freezing. Alone. She could only see a never-ending darkness as she embraced her trembling person.
"We?" The other retorted with a perplexed look in her lost eyes.
She suddenly forgot how to speak. She could not find any words having forgotten how to properly communicate like a human. Wild, vivid memories began flooding her mind at all of the insignificant incongruities in her life that suddenly came together to make sense. She starred at the Moon Spirit in disbelief. "Tsai," she took her hands in hers gingerly, almost lovingly. "You've been touched by the sun. Just like I was touched by the moon."
This couldn't be true.
"You're the Sun Spirit."
xxx
"For so long, all I wanted was for you to love me, to accept me. I thought it was my honor I wanted, but really, I was just trying to please you. You, my father, who banished me just for talking out of turning." Zuko snapped angrily and he pointed one of his dao blades at his father, "My father, who challenged me, a thirteen-year-old boy, to an Agni Kai! How could you possibly justify a duel with a child!?"
"It was to teach you respect!" Ozai retorted scornfully, an angry sneer pulling at his features.
"It was cruel!" The prince shouted back, "And it was wrong."
"It's obvious that you have learned nothing!"
Zuko shook his head, "No, I've learned everything! And I've had to learn it on my own!" He lowered his swords and stared at his father distastefully, "Growing up, we were taught that the Fire Nation was the greatest civilization in history. And somehow, the War was our way of sharing our greatness with the rest of the world. What an amazing lie that was." He scowled at Ozai, "The people of the world are terrified of the Fire Nation. They don't see our greatness. They hate us! And we deserve it!"
"We've created an era of fear in the world." Zuko said passionately, "And if we don't want the world to destroy itself, we need to replace it with an era of peace and kindness."
Ozai laughed mockingly, "Your uncle has gotten to you, hasn't he?"
"Yes, he has." Zuko replied as he closed his eyes for a moment then he smiled proudly as he thought of his uncle.
Ozai's eyes flashed angrily and he frowned in disapproval.
xxx
Aang quickly leapt over her head and ran towards the Dai Li agents that Azula had summoned to protect her, Sokka, Toph, and Mecha hot on his heels. The agents bended a massive wall towards Aang, who nimbly dodged it by leaping up and pushing off one of the metal support beams in the room, flipping forward.
The Dai Li agents bended two slabs of rock from the ground and flung them at Aang, but he deflected them easily by kicking them away. Toph suddenly burst through the stone wall behind Aang, creating a massive hole in it. She landed between the two agents and slammed her hands down, bending two diagonal pillars of stone up from beneath them and pushing them both towards the walls.
Mecha leapt through the hole Toph created and used his bare fist to hit one of the agents, forcing him to leap away from the wall. The agent thrust his hands towards the him, bending a pillar of rock beneath her feet. Mecha leapt, sweat forming on his brow from the stress of being unable to fight in his element.
While his comrades were distracted, other Dai Li agent pressed his feet against the wall and earthbended a pillar of rock from it down at Toph. The blind Earthbender swung her arm towards the pillar and blocked the attack by bending a stone wall up from the floor. Thrusting her hands forward, Toph bended a stream of earth at Azula, the stream of earth pushing the princess up into air.
Azula quickly backflipped off the attack and flew back towards the throne, smirking as she landed lightly on her feet. Aang charged forward then, the Dai Li agent that had attacked Toph running after him. A grinding noise reached Aang's ears and he stopped, turning to stare at the wall just as the Dai Li agent slid over the side of the wall and past him.
Aang's attention momentarily turned to Mecha who was desperately trying to get to his sister who still lay unconscious on the ground.
The agent flung himself off the wall and landed in front of Aang, putting himself protectively in front of the Azula. The agent earthbended a large, diagonal wall of stone up from the floor as Aang continued running towards him. Leaping high into the air, Aang flipped forward and burst through the wall feet first, landing behind the Dai Li agent. Without turning, he popped the agent into the air with a small pillar of stone then knocked him away with a larger one.
Aang spun his staff above his head, letting go of it as he turned forward and swung his arms around his body, shooting a powerful blast of air at Azula with one hand. Scowling slightly, Azula grabbed onto the arms of the throne and cartwheeled away just before the throne was completely destroyed by the air blast. It was then that she leapt off the throne and picked up the limp body of the passed-out girl. She grabbed her lolling head and held it between her hands pressing a blade to her neck.
"One wrong move and she gets it," She threatened menacingly using the girl's body as a shield. Aang and the other froze their attacks, halting in response of the hostage situation. Mecha was ready to kill a marble of sweat slid down his temple from the stress.
xxx
Zuko stared at his father calmly, "After I leave here today, I'm going to free Uncle Iroh from his prison and I'm going to beg for his forgiveness. He's the one who's been a real father to me."
"Oh, that's just beautiful." Ozai chuckled sarcastically then he smiled cruelly before once again wiping his bloody face, "Maybe he can pass down to you the ways of tea and failure."
"But I've come to an even more important decision." Zuko continued as if his father hadn't spoken. He paused for a moment then smiled slightly, "I'm going to join the Avatar. And I'm going to help him defeat you."
"Oh really?" Fire Lord Ozai drawled with a sly smile, "Since you're a full-blown traitor now and you want me gone, why wait? I'm powerless, you've got your swords. Why don't you just do it now?"
"Because I know my own destiny. Taking you down is the Avatar's destiny." Zuko replied softly and he sheathed his swords. He turned his back on his father and began walking towards the door, "Goodbye."
Ozai narrowed his eyes and stood abruptly from his seat, "Coward! You think you're brave enough to face me, but you'll only do it during an eclipse. If you any real courage, you'll stick around until the sun comes out." A slow, cruel smile spread across his face as he stared at his son's back, "Don't you want to know what happened to your mother?"
Zuko froze in front of the door and turned to face his father slowly, who grinned at him venomously. He took a step forward, "What happened that night?"
"My father, Fire Lord Azulon, had commanded me to do the unthinkable to you, my own son." Ozai replied silkily, "And I was going to do it. Your mother found out and swore she would protect you at any costs. She knew I wanted the throne, and she proposed a plan, a plan in which I would become Fire Lord and your life would be spared."
Zuko clenched his jaw and narrowed his eyes, his head bowed slightly as he listened to his father's cruel words.
Xxx
"Aw don't tell me you're upset Sokka," Azula taunted. "First you couldn't save my prisoner and now you can't save my servant." She mocked with a malicious grin on her face.
"Sokka don't listen to her!" Toph suddenly said. "She's just trying to keep us here and waste all out time!" Toph pointed accusingly at the princess.
"Um, right. I think your friend just said that, genius." Azula scoffed and she rolled her eyes dramatically, "And since you can't see, I should tell you, I'm rolling my eyes."
"I'll roll your whole head!" Toph shouted angrily and she took a threatening step forward.
"You have to go," Mecha suddenly said nodding his head to the door of the throne room.
They all looked at him in shock. "But- your sister," Aang protested. "We can't leave Tsai behind!"
Mecha could begin to feel his fire returning to his being as the eclipse passed. His core boiling with the rage he was ready to unleash.
"Go, I'll hold her back you don't have a choice. You have to get out of here and find the Fire Lord on your own somehow."
It was then that Toph tensed up as she sensed something. She felt the hostage suddenly take her ground and Tsai opened her eyes wide almost as if she had come back to life. She heaved her chest rising up and down violently from the shock as her eyes darted around the unknown room.
"Mecha!" She gasped at the sight of her lost brother. Her voice cracking into a desperate high pitch. He didn't look like she remembered him. His wavy hair was long and untamed reaching past his jaw. His face was twisted into an aggressive expression.
"Quiet you!" Azula barked holding her closer to her body, pressing the knife tighter to her neck just below the dog necklace she had forced her to wear she still held the metal chain in her hand.
xxx
"Your mother did vicious, treasonous things that night." Ozai commented darkly with a cruel smirk, "She knew the consequences and accepted them. For her treason, she was banished."
A tear slipped down Zuko's cheek, "So she's alive."
"Perhaps." Ozai replied flippantly with an elegant shrug then he sneered, "Now I realize that banishment is far to merciful a penalty for treason. Your penalty will be farsteeper."
The Fire Lord closed his eyes and inhaled deeply as he felt his firebending return. He snapped his eyes open and snarled, stepping forward and swinging his arms out. Two arcs of lightning danced from his fingertips and he thrust his hands towards his son, firing a powerful lightning bolt at him. The Governor stepped back awkwardly as he stood in the shadows witnessing the powerful scene unfold before him.
Zuko gritted his teeth as he caught the lightning with the tips of his own fingers, his feet sliding backwards several paces from the force of the attack. The lightning swirled around his body and his hair stood on end, but Zuko ignored it as he lowered his body slightly and pulled his arms inward, the electricity running through his body. Quickly, he thrust his other hand forward, redirecting the lightning back at Ozai.
The bolt struck the ground just in front of the Fire Lord, creating a massive explosion that threw him back against the wall and into the tapestry behind him. Ozai struggled into an upright position with a low grunt, his hair falling over his face as he straightened fully. The tapestry behind him fell to the ground and began to burn around him. When the smoke cleared, his expression darkened when he saw the Zuko had disappeared.
Xxx
Tsai noted how Azula's right hand was the one pressing the knife against her throat. It was a small knife like the one he had stabbed her with that one day. The other was holding her body tightly, the metal leash was tangled tightly in her left one. Her eyes met her brother's and she nodded closed her eyes for a moment before she quit her struggle. She leaned back into Azula's body her body now more relaxed. Azula lowered her knife and her golden eyes turned to look at Tsai's.
It happened so fast that Aang and the gang didn't have a moment to react. In what seemed like one swift fluid motion Tsai wrapped the chain around in her own hands. She lunged forward so quickly and with so much momentum that Azula was dragged down and collapsed to the floor.
Her brother called her name as she ran towards the group as fast as she could. However, before she could her body was jerked back sharply, and she once again collapsed with a whiplash from her neck being pulled.
"How dare you!" Azula growled she still gripped the chain in her hands tightly. She rose to her feet and raised a fiery arm ready to blast fire.
"Toph!" Aang turned to his friend. Azula dropped the chain.
It was too late. A fiery inferno of blue flames consumed the shape of a girl. Sokka winced raising his arms to protect his eyes from the scorching heat that seemed to radiate the hateful attack.
Mecha lunged forward like a raging beast. Toph and Aang held him back with all of their strength as he struggled against their grips.
"No!" His heartbreak echoed the room's steel walls. He collapsed to his knees.
Azula had a triumphant smirk on her face, she opened her mouth to say something but choked back at what she saw.
They all did.
Once again, the girl stood in the inferno unhurt. A light smirk danced on her face.
She knew who she was.
"T-That's impossible!" Azula panicked. "How?" She scowled furiously.
She shook her head and like her father blasted another flame and another and another. Yet the girl remained unmoved, her hair simply swaying with the impact.
"Don't you know?" Tsai picked up the hot chain in her hands.
"You can't burn fire," she grabbed the chain in her hands and whipped it in Azula's direction. The hot chains rattled and hit the ground making sparks due to friction. Azula backed up against the wall trapped. Where Toph raised a wall pinning her to the back wall.
"Mecha!" She turned around and with her own leash in hands sprinted towards her brother. Her eyes crying rivers of tears. He embraced her tightly holding his sister close in the long-awaited sibling reunion.
"I've been looking for you," he said with watery eyes. "I'm so sorry about everything," he apologized. The guilt consuming him.
"I'm sorry too! I should've looked for you! But I-I didn't know where you were- What had happened-"
"Here," Toph interrupted and grabbed her hands in hers and bended the metal shackles off. The girl looked at her sore wrists and rotated them in an attempt to ease the pain.
"As touching as this has been," Azula said breaking out of the rock wall no longer feeling threatened. "I'm not going to allow you to leave with my prisoner. Dad's all the way at the end of the hall and down the secret stairway on the left. I'm sure he'll be more than happy to see you now."
"Your sick Azula!" Tsai shouted. "You're sick and twisted and vile! That's why you will always be alone!" She shouted back.
Azula actually looked as if a dagger had just been buried into her cold heart. She frowned maliciously and hurt before rushing forward hands blazing with blue fire as approached ready to attack.
"I won't let you!" Mecha stepped forward ready to protect the person dearest to him.
"Mecha! No!" Tsai reached for her brother holding his hand tightly. She looked at him with pleading eyes. He couldn't do this to her. After all this time they had finally been reunited and he was going to stay back just like that?
"The rest of you go on. Tsai you have to go with them. The Fire Lord can't hurt you. You have to help Aang," he looked at her determination on his eyes and nodded.
There was so much she wished she could've said to him. So much that she wished she could've done. With a painful nodded she embraced her brother for what felt like the last time. "I love you so much," she whispered tearfully before following after the others.
"And now it's too late." Sokka muttered hopelessly as they exited the room.
"Maybe it's not too late." Aang said slowly. "The eclipse is over, but I can face the Fire Lord anyway."
"I'll help you." The girl said in a determined tone. "I landed a good one on him earlier." She said proudly. They all turned to look at her oddly.
Tsai stopped moving when she suddenly felt a wet sensation on the side of her torso. She stopped in her way and gazed at the blood that coated her hand. She looked at her side and realized that Azula. The knife. She had gotten to her. She had gotten to her good and in a rush of adrenaline hadn't even realized. The knife still stuck to her torso.
"Tsai! You're bleeding!" Aang noted.
"I'll be fine," she said as she pushed back the pulsating pain to the back of her head. "It's not deep. We can go," she winced slightly as she yanked the weapon from her side and tried to smile encouragingly. Defeating the Fire Lord was greater than whatever injuries she had.
Also- she had to find Zuko. They had both planned to meet up after this. At this rate she would never find him…
"I don't think that's a good idea. We have to get you out of here, " Sokka stated "That wound looks like it can be fatal."
"But Aang's ready!" She exclaimed pointing to the airbender. "Right?"
"I came here with a job to do and everyone's counting on me," Aang said as a whirlwind of thoughts swirled in his head.
"The Fire Lord knew we were coming this time. We thought we had surprise on our side, but we didn't." Toph said patiently as she they approached the Fire Lord's chamber, "What we need to do now is go help our friends and get Tsai to Katara."
Aang glanced down the tunnel then looked back at his friends, his gaze resting on Tsai who was clutching at her side shoulder with a painful smile on her face.
"You're all right. Let's go."
"No-"
"I wouldn't be able to live with myself if anything happened to you," Aang said. "Especially after your brother…" He looked back at the tunnel in the direction in which they had come from. Tsai's eyebrows twisted in concern and she nodded her head. Aang's expression mirrored hers.
Sokka placed a hand on the younger boy's shoulder reassuringly, "Don't worry, you'll have another chance. I know you will."
Aang nodded once then the foursome quickly made their way down the tunnel, heading towards the surface.
xxx
Katara leaned her father against one of the earthbender tanks and they removed their eclipse glasses.
"What should we do, Hakoda?" Bato asked concernedly as he ran up to his friend, "Shouldn't something have happened by now?"
"I don't know." Hakoda replied, his brow furrowing with his own concern, "But now that the eclipse is over, I expect we're going to see some firebenders any minute."
Bato opened his mouth to reply, but something in the sky caught his attention and he stared up at in shock. Katara frowned slightly and turned to look in the same direction, her heart leaping into her throat when she saw five Fire Nation war balloons ascend into the air.
"My own invention!" The mechanist exclaimed in dismay as he stared up at the war balloons, "Oh this is terrible!"
Teo silently placed a comforting hand on his father's shoulder, squeezing it reassuringly. The rest of the invasion force watched with mounting horror as a massive zeppelin ascended into the sky behind one of the war balloons, followed by four more. Katara turned away from the sight and gasped when she saw Appa's familiar form flying towards them.
"They're back!" She exclaimed and she ran forward as the sky bison drew closer.
Perched on Appa's head, Aang stared at the mounting zeppelins with a worried expression before he turned back around and directed Appa to land just as Katara ran up to them. He looked down at the dark-haired Waterbender with an uneasy and saddened expression. Katara bit her lip and glanced over at Toph, Sokka, and Tsai sitting in the saddle, similar grim expressions on their faces. Sokka quickly helped Tsai out of the saddle and off of Appa's back, leading her towards Katara.
The girl felt a little lightheaded and she leaned on Sokka for support as they approached his sister.
"What happened?" Katara asked in alarm when she saw the dark stain that darkened Tsai's fire nation clothes.
"Tsai!" She said in surprise.
"Just a crafty bitch with a knife," Tsai growled angrily. Katara was a little stunned at the use of the language yet wasted no time in bending the water from her canteen and covering the wound on her side with it.
"It was all a trap." Sokka explained loudly as his sister healed Tsai while Toph climbed down from the saddle behind him, "Azula knew we were coming, and she's plotted out every move! We've got to get to the beach as fast as we can." He turned to face his father as he approached, "If we can make it to the submarines, maybe we can get away safely."
Aang suddenly stood up on Appa's head and snapped his glider open, "They've got air power, but so do I! I'm gonna do what I can to slow them down." He tossed his glider into the air and took off, Momo following close behind him.
Katara hesitated and stared after him worriedly. She jumped slightly when Tsai snapped her out of her train of thoughts.
"Go." She said fire in her eyes and she nodded towards Appa, "He's gonna need all the help he can get."
"But you're hurt-"
"I'll live. Now go!" She snapped almost angrily at the water bender.
Katara nodded once and hurried over to Appa, "C'mon Appa, we can help too."
Sokka and Tsai watched as Appa flew after Aang, catching up to him quickly, then Sokka turned to address the rest of the invasion force.
Tsai looked down at her wound and placed a hand over it clutching her side painfully. She shut her eyes for a moment and focused on the pain and just like that it was gone. Surprised she blinked twice and saw a faint golden glow emitting from her hand. The wound was gone.
"Everyone, let's get back to the subs!" He turned to face the colonial girl. "Come!" He said placing a hand on her upper arm helping her keep a steady pace as they ran back towards the beach with the others following after them.
Xxx
"Tsai!" Zuko shouted desperately as he ran the hallways of the palace, but she was gone. There was no sign or trace of her. He hoped she had safely made it to the place where they had both agreed to meet last night…
Last night… He cursed as he kicked a nearby table knocking its contents down. Last night ruined everything. Their plan. Today. The end of the war.
There was no time to lose. He panted as he sprinted out of the palace and ran towards the jail prison tower. Maybe she was there saving his uncle…
Zuko raced towards the prison, throwing open the door and darting inside. He ignored the guard lying on the floor, who winced and cowered as he passed him. Running down the hall towards his uncle's cell, Zuko skidded to a stop in front of the open door.
"Uncle!" He shouted only to stare in surprise at the large hole in the cage, the surrounding bars bent outwards. He noticed the warden lying in a dazed state on the floor and he hurried towards him, grabbing him by the collar and holding him up, "Where is my Uncle?"
"He's gone." Poon mumbled still in shock and awe, "He busted himself out. I...I've never seen anything like it! He was like a one-man army!"
"And the red-head?" He barked his fist tightening around the warden's armor.
"What red head?"
Zuko scowled and released the warden, running out of the prison as fast as he could.
xxx
Tsai grunted in surprise when Sokka abruptly stopped running down the slope towards the plaza below and she crashed into his back. He turned slightly and looked up, his eyes widening when he saw the zeppelins slowly making their way towards them.
"Try and find cover!" He shouted out to everyone when he noticed the bottom part of a zeppelin opening. He looked over at Katara and Aang as they landed behind him, Toph, and Tsai, "I think we're about to see some bombs!"
Everyone quickly huddled together as Toph bended a large slab of stone above their heads, the other earth benders doing the same. Tsai bent over painfully holding her hands above her head flinched every time one of the bombs struck the slab of rock above them and exploded. She sucked in a sharp breath when the stone slab cracked and began to fall. Her eyes widened as she braced for impact. It was then that Toph bended two stone supports up from the ground to keep it upright. She let out a breath she dind't realize she had been holding all along.
When the bombs stopped, Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph, and Tsai stepped out from under the rock slab and watched the zeppelins continue towards the beach.
"Why aren't they around to attack us again?" Katara asked in confusion.
"They're headed for the beach." Aang said slowly and his eyes widened with realization, "They're going to destroy the submarines!"
Sokka stared at the zeppelins in dismay, "How are we all gonna escape?"
"We're not."
The five friends turned towards Hakoda and Sokka frowned in determination. He punched a fist into his palm, "Then our only choice is to stand and fight. We have the Avatar, we could still win!"
"Yes, with the Avatar we could still win, on another day." Hakoda moved away from Bato and stepped towards his children, "You kids have to leave. You have to escape on Appa together."
"What?" Katara demanded in shock and she grabbed her father's forearms, "We can't leave you behind. We won't leave anyone behind!"
"You're our only chance in the long run. You and Sokka have to go with Aang somewhere safe." Hakoda explained patiently, watching as his daughter looked back at Sokka, Aang, and Tsai sorrowfully, "It's the only way to keep hope alive."
Bato turned to address the rest of the invasion force, "The youngest of our group should go with you. The adults will stay behind and surrender. We'll be prisoners, but we'll all survive this battle."
"I've got some experience with Fire Nation prisons." Tyro said as he approached the group, "It's not going to be easy, but we'll get by."
Tsai glanced over her shoulder and sucked in a sharp breath when she the zeppelins were already at the beach, "Look!"
"They're at the beach already!" Sokka exclaimed and they all watched helplessly as the zeppelins dropped more bombs, the swamp benders who had remained at the beach no doubt trying to defend the submarines. One by one, the submarines exploded and were completely destroyed.
Sokka swallowed thickly then closed his eyes, his expression grim as he begrudgingly accepted the turn of events that had just taken place. Opening his eyes, he turned towards his father and nodded his head in acceptance.
Hakoda nodded back and straightened as best he could, turning to address the invasion force around, "Quickly, gather the youngest in our group and bring them down to Appa as fast as you can."
Tsai leaned heavily against the back of Appa's saddle clenching the injury at her side tightly, watching with sad eyes as Toph and a mechanist carried a boy in a chair with wheels from she had never met before in his arms, rose up to Appa's back on a platform of rock that Toph was bending. The blind earthbender hopped into the saddle and the mechanist carefully placed Teo down in it, hugging him tightly.
"Bye, son."
"Bye, Dad." Teo whispered back sadly, "I'm really proud of you."
The mechanist gave his son a wobbly smile and waved slightly as Toph lowered him back to the ground. Brushing the stray tears from her cheeks, Tsai shuffled over to the of the saddle, leaning over it and looked at the strangers below.
She watched all of these strangers below embrace with so much love and specially so much hope. They would fight until the end, each and every one of them with tooth and nail if they had to. She felt an intense pain as she thought of her brother how he had sacrificed himself so that they could flee.
She thought about Mecha and she prayed that he would be okay. The thought made her hug her arms as she fought back the tears.
And then there was Zuko... She thought of the last time she had been with him. How they spent yesterday just talking and feeding the turtle ducks, it had been different to all the other times before and then the night... She shifted in her seat.
Something had changed… but what?
And Iroh- he was probably still in prison. She clenched her fists tightly as anger began to make her head feel hot. She should've done something to help him. Anything.
Katara jumped into the saddle as Aang sat down on Appa's head, Momo climbing onto his shoulder. Appa rumbled lowly as he took leapt into the air and flew away from the Fire Nation capital, the adults watching them go sadly.
xxx
"Should we follow them, Princess?"
Azula smirked as she stood on the gondola of her zeppelin, watching the Avatar's bison fly away through the window. She tilted her head towards the zeppelin's captain as she replied, "No. They're too fast. It doesn't matter though, they'll be back."
xxx
Tsai stared at the zeppelin along with the others, her jaw clenched with anger. She held her side which hurt a little less.
"I know just the place for us to go where we'll be safe for a while." Aang called back to them from Appa's head. He exhaled heavily, "The Western Air Temple."
They vanished into the clouds of the sky.
Katara returned to Tsai's side once they were settled into a steady flight mid air.
"What happened in there?" Katara asked more calmly as she continued raised her shirt raised to expose her skin where there had once been a wound.
"Azula got real crafty," She said looking down and suddenly realized she was still wearing that hideous dog necklace she had made her wear.
"Real damn crafty," she grumbled angrily as she unbuckled the necklace rapidly and threw it out of the flying bison with hatred. She let out a deep breath she didn't realize she had been holding heaving.
"But- there's no wound anymore?" Katara's eyes narrowed as she inspected her abdomen confused.
Tsai took in a deep breath. "I think I healed myself… somehow…."
She leaned back into the saddle and letting out an exhausted saddle.
"You also passed out for a while," Toph said mindlessly.
"Right…" She said in a low voice as she lowered her head processing what had happened. The truths that Yue had unfolded to her.
"I saw Yue," she said turning to look at Sokka.
His expression became unreadable, it took him a moment for his eye brows to knit in disbelief. "What?" he mouthed.
"She came to me," Tsai explained. "When…" she couldn't figure out just what to call what had just happened to her. "When I was out… Said some things to me. Explained things I still can't understand." Her eyebrows shifted into a painful expression.
"Told me to tell you that she'll always be with you," she said to Sokka. "That she's proud of you and wants to see you be happy."
Sokka turned away his eyes clouded with sadness as he gazed out into the horizon.
"So you can talk to spirits now?" Toph asked bluntly.
"Not quite.… Tsai said softly.
"You're the Sun Spirit." She could still hear Yue say to her.
"Can we talk about this later?" She sighed as exhaustion swept over her.
xxx
Unbeknownst to the group, a single war balloon flew after them. Zuko stood in the balloon's basket, holding onto the ropes, and stared at the sky bison's retreating form determinedly.